Scutching-machine.



M. H. WYNYARD.

SCUTCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.H. 191s.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

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M. H. WYNYARD.

SCUTCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.H.1916. 1,281,739. Patented 00t.15,1918.

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M. H. WYNYARD.

SCUTCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.H. I916.

Patented 0013.15, 1918.

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M. H. WYNYARD. SCUTCHING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED AUG.H. 1916.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

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I I 51441014 601 fiJfZflyayam? MONTAGUE I-I. WYNYARD, OF ONEHUNGA, NEW ZEALAND.

SGUTCI-IING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial N 0. 114,483.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONTAGUE HARRISON VVYNYARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Onehunga, in the Provincial District of Auckland, Dominion of New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scutching-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the conveyance of fiber or similar material to and from a scutching machine (generally and hereinafter called a scutcher), and while being scutched therein, and'provides a means for feeding the material on to the conveyer, a firmly gripping conveyer or conveyers to hold and carry the material while being scutched, a means (a) of effecting change of grip on the material while in the scutcher and (b) of drawing the first scutched portion'of the material out of the scutcher and (0) of introducing the unscutched portion of the material into the scutcher, so that the whole length of material is fully scutched in the one scutcher.

The invention consists in principle of a primary gripping conveyer (that is the conveyer which first grips the material and conveys it into the scutcher) conveying the material into and along a high level slot in the face or concave of'the scutcher, a continuance of such slot, preferably diagonally, down the concave, along which slot thematerial under the action of scutcher heaters moves, a secondary lowerlevel gripping conveyer gripping the material moving along such slot in a position already scutched by the machine, a release of the primary C0nveyer when the secondary conveyer has gripped the material, a second slot at or near the level of the secondary conveyer and extending to the outlet end of the scutcher, and a guide directing the unscutched end of the material when released from the primary conveyer into an opening in the face or concave connecting with the second slot where it becomes subject to the action of or intake draft caused by the scutcher-heaters by which it is whipped through such second slot. The secondary conveyer in its travel draws the end of the material first scutched through the first slot out of the action of the scutcher and'conveys the other. end of the material, now under the operation of the scutcher, along the second slot and out of same at the outlet end of the scutcher.

The nature of the feeder and the gripping conveyer used by me in this invention is described in the more particular description following The primary gripping conveyer comprises an endless traveling flexible band (such as a chain or wire rope) which is caused to travel in a plane close to and parallel with the high level slot of the scutcher concave, a pair of smooth bars arranged in parallel lines above or alongside the travel of such band with a distance between such bars rendering it impossible to draw such band through, the bars being so positioned that the travel of the band will be beneath the opening between the bars when the bars are (in relation to each other) in or near a horizontal plane, or alongside such opening when the bars in relation to one another are one above the other, the band in the latter case traveling on the side of the bars remote from the scutcher. The rods'are supported by brackets. or supports from the rear.

The means for feeding the material into the primary gripping conveyer is a grooved pulley, around the groove in which the conveyer band passes, so located that a small segment thereof passes into a slot in a plate (being an extension from the parallel bars of the holder) on which the material is placed by an operator, and carries the conveyer band to the correctplane it has to traverse in relation to the parallel bars. The edges of the groove are serrated or corrugated so that as the teeth or corrugations engage a hank of material hung over the plate and brought in contact with the teeth or corrugations the latter draw or press the hank forward with the conveyer band into the slot and then forward into the opening between the bars, the respective ends of the material (which is held by the conveyer band within such opening) passing out between the bars one end lying over and depending from the upper or outer bar and the other depending from the other bar. A guide directs the end of the material vpendent on the scutcher side into the side entrance of the concave and into the high level slot which passes horizontally along the face of the scutcher for a distance. The slot is then continued diagonallydown the face of such concave, the parallel bars and supports continuing however in the same plane as before but a full clearance is left between same and the concave face. Some distance down such diagonal slot the extensions of another pair of horizontal bars forming the secondary gripper commence, a grooved pulley around which the secondary conveyer band passes acting here also to introduce the material pendent on the scutcher side of the primary conveyer into a second conveyer grip similar in principle to the primary conveyer. The upper and major portion of this grooved pulley with the secondary band is partially housed against the concave the spindle of this pulley being supported to the concave and housing, the housing being necessary to enable the material so pendent from the primary conveyer to pass over such pulley and secondary band without entanglement until it is pressed by the lower portion of such pulley and band into the grip between the parallel bars of the secondary gripper.

The bars and conveyer band of the secondary gripping conveyer run horizontally along the face of the concave to and past its outlet end. After the grip on the material is made by the secondary conveyer the parallel bars of the primary gripping conveyer end, the primary band passing on or being returned upward around a grooved pulley. The material is now freed from the primary conveyer and falls onto a guard or guide above the secondary gripping conveyer which as'the material is carried on by such secondary conveyer presses the fallen material through an opening in the scutcher face until it comes in contact with the action or intake draft of the scutcher beaters. This whips such fallen portion of the material including the unscutched portion of it (which has all along been pendent on the outer side of the primary conveyer) into the scutcher. From the opening a slot runs along the concave face to its outlet end. The secondary gripping conveyer carries the material along, the already scutched end being drawn out through the diagonal continuation of the high level slot and the previously unscutched end being conveyed along through the low level slot while being operated on by the scutcher, and ultimately being drawn out of the outlet end. The whole of the length of the material is now scutched and, when the parallel bars end, remains hung across the secondary conveyer band which can be carried around a grooved horizontal pulley or pulleys and the material removed by hand where re-- quired. other grooved and where required driven pulleys being utilized to give the circulation to the band.

In my particular application of the invention I use one continuous band to act as both the primary and secondary conveyer band, and to illustrate the invention I produce drawings in which Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an end view showing entrance to scutcher.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the feeder wheel and associated part.

Fig. 4: is a section along the line A B of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side view on larger scale of a portion of the gripping conveyer.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line C D of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view;

Fig. 8 is a sectional perspective showing the manner in which the hanks or strands of material are placed upon the upper conveyer;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, illustrating the toothed feed wheel in the act of depressing the hank through the inlet mouth or slot of the upper conveyer;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the hank after one end thereof has dropped into the space between the upper and lower tracks of the upper conveyer;

Fig. 11 is yet another perspective view showing the hank or strand engaged with the upper stretch of the feed chain;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the cleaned ends of the hanks or strands are engaged with the lower conveyer before the uncleaned ends thereof are released by the upper conveyer; and

Fig. 13 is yet another perspective view showing the hank gripped by the lower conveyer with its uncleaned end in the act of being drawn through the inlet mouth of the lower slot in the concave.

In these drawings 1 is an endless driven chain running in the groove of the feeder pulley 2 (furnished with the serrated edges 3) and in the grooves of the other pulleys 4:, 5 and 6. The chain 1 is driven by a pulley such as 1, and moves in the directions shown in Fig. 1. 7 is a top plate having the slot 8 into which a small segment of the feed pulley 2 dips. 9 is a bottom plate and 10 are spacing blocks between the plates 7 and 9. 11 and 12 are angle iron bars fixed to the top plate 7 and bottom plate 9 respectively in positions as shown, and their sides 13 and 1 1 form parallel bars with the space 16 between them, such space being of a width sufficient to permit the material (to be operated on by Y the scutcher) to extend through but insuf- "slot 36the side entrance 37 being left between the plate and the'concave'32, which 25 the angle iron bars, 26 the spacing blocks,26 the bolts, and 27 the brackets of a lower holder forming'with the chain 1 the secondary gripping conveyer. The chainl after passing plates 7 and'9 is carried on to the grooved pulley'4 and back to and partly around the grooved pulleys 5 and 6,passing from beneath the latter pulley alongside the bars 24 and25 on the side thereof remote from the scutcher and thencezdirectly or indirectly to pulley 1" and back to the feed pulley 2.

The housing 26 covers the'whole of pulley 5 and the greater'part' of pulley 6 and the spindles of these pulleys are carried by the housing 26 and the block 28' fitted to the upper portion 29 of the concave 32 of the scutcher. 30 is a fixed plate fastened to the frame 31 of the scutcher and 32 is the lower concave of scutcher having the highlevel slot 33 which continuesas the diagonal slot 34, the horizontal slot 35, and the diagonal latter is fastened at the bottom ofcurve to the bottom plate 38 and is supported also by the stays 39. 40 is a guide designed to direct the inner pendent material into the side entrance 37, and 41 is arguide designed to direct the material as it falls from the primary gripping conveyer into the opening 42. Th1s latter opening connects with the low level slot 43 which continues to the farther 'end of the concave 32, and into the side exit '44 between the concave 32 and the fixed plate 45. Stays 46 support the brackets 27 and stays 47 assist to support-where required the upper portion 29 of the concave.

In operation, the hank-of fiber or other material is placed by the operator'across the plate 7 (Fig. 8) so as to'come in contact with the serrated edges 3 of the feed pulley 2-as the. latter is revolved by the travel of the chain 1. Theseedges carry the hank where engaged by them into the slot 8-and under the chain 1 (Fig. 9), andpress it" through the break 18 into the'space 19' between the bars 13 and 14 (Fig. 10), the inside length of the hank hanging'pendent' from the lower bar 14 and the outside length pendent-from the outer side of the top plate 7 The movement of the chain 1 carries the inside length of the hank, directed by the guide 40, into the entrance slot 37 (Fig. 10) and along the high level slot 33, when it comes under the operation of the scutcher beaters B moving within the concave 32, passing thence successively along the diagonal continuation 34 and the horizontal continuation 35 of such slot. It is engaged where previously scutched, by the chain 1 at the lower end of pulley 6, and is pressed forward by such tively,

' pulped fibers.

chain and the forward movement of the'primary gripping conveyer mto the space between' the bars 24 and 25 of the secondary gripping conveyer (see Fig. 12), the easing of the bars 13 and 14 of the primary con veyer at 21 preventing any locking by excessive tension when the material is forced 1nto the grip of the secondary conveyer.

After passing 21 the hank falls from the chain 1 on to the guide 41 (Fig. 13) which directs it into the opening 42 and into close f touch with the scutcher beaters B. The operation of the heaters and the intake draft at the opening 42 whips the outside and so far unscutched length of the hank through such opening into the interior of the scutcher ('Fig. 13), and the continuance of the chain 1 in the secondary gripping conveyer draws it along and finally out of the side outlet 44,

at the same time drawing the remainder of the hank already scutched out of the lower diagonal continuation 36 of the high level slot 33. The hank, now fully scutched,

-hangs pendent across the chain 1, and can be -removed from same in any sultable position "of its subsequent travel.

The machine is intended primarily for use upon fiber after it has been decorticated or stripped and bleached in the open air, its object being to remove any portlons of broken envelop, and fibers still adhering, commonly known as dust and tow. In

"certain fibrous plants with soft envelops,

such as manila (Abaca) strips and sisal leaves, the machine could also be used effecas the strips could be gripped and held by the conveyers and decorticated the well known types of scutchersnow in use for clearing the sisal leaves of the pulp.

In view of these additional uses of the machine, I do not wish to be limited to theoperation thereof upon previously decortlcated material, since, as above suggested, 1t may be used in the decorticating of numerous soft Furthermore, the conveying.

means shown anddescribed is adaptable to other machines than those operating upon hanksof fiber and the like and I do not therefore wish to be limited to any particular application of said conveying means. For instance, it could be employed for carry- .ing strips or lengths of cloth along any kind of a dressing machine for operating thereon, and I wish it understood that the term dressing means used in the claims is to be considered as including means for all of the uses specified as well as others which lie within the meaning of the term. I will also state that although I have shown and described a concave having longitudinal slots for receiving the ends of the strands or hanks, a wall of any type may be used as it may be necessary in some instances to provide walls of other types for coaction with the dressing means. It may be further explained that in to receive the other end of said strands after withdrawal of said one end, means at one side of the wall for handling said strands to control the insertion thereof through said slots and for carrying said strands along the wall, and dressing means for said strands coacting with said wall.

2. In a machine for dressing strands of material, the combination of a wall having a longitudinal slot to receive one end of the strands, and another longitudinal slot to receive the other end of said strands after withdrawal of said one end, said second slot having an enlarged inlet throat and a strand guide for directing the strands into the same, means for gripping one end of the strands, moving them longitudinally within the first slot, gripping the other ends thereof while said guide moves them into said throat, and then moving said strands longitudinally within said second slot, and dressing means for said strands coacting with said wall.

3. In a machine for dressing strands of material, the combination of a wall having an upper longitudinally extending stepped slot to receive one end of the strands, and a lower longitudinal slot to receive the other end of said strands upon withdrawal of said one end from the lower end of said stepped slot, said second slot having an inlet throat adjacent the lower step of the first slot and a guide at said throat for directing the strands into the same, means at one side of said wall for gripping one end of the strands and moving them longitudinally within the stepped slot, gripping the other end of said strands while said guide moves them into said throat, and for then moving said strands longitudinally in said second slot, and dressing means for said strands coacting with said wall.

4. The combination with means for dressing strands of material, of a conveyer for said strands consisting of closely spaced .tracks, and a stretch of traveling chain parallel with said tracks and in close proximity to the space therebetween, together with means for looping the strands around said chain with their ends extending between said tracks.

5. The combination with means for dressing strands of material, of a conveyer for said strands consisting of upper and lower closely spaced tracks, said upper track having in one end a longitudinal slot opening through its upper and lower faces and also having a passage leading from said slot through one edge and the lower side of the track, a feed wheel whose lower portion operates in said slot to depress the strands into the same as said strands are placedon said upper track, and a traveling chain passing around said wheel and having a stretch parallel with the two tracks and in close proximity to the space therebetween.

6. The combination with means for dressing strands of material, of conveying means for said strands comprising upper and lower conveyers each consisting of upper and lower tracks closely spaced, a stretch of chain traveling adjacent the space between the two tracks of the upper conveyer, a second stretch of chain traveling adjacent the corresponding space of the lower conveyer, means for engaging the strands with said first stretch of chain, and means at the delivery end of this stretch for guiding said second stretch of chain transversely through the space between its respective tracks whereby it may grip another portion of the strands.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit-' nesses.

M. H. WYNYARD. Witnesses Ivo B. D. EsAM, ALLEN S. HAYS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

